JOHN E. DUARTE

Songwriter / Record Producer / Arranger / Programmer Keyboardist


 Instruments:

Keyboard, Synthesizer, Saxophones (all), Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Guitar, Bass, Drums, Cello and Trumpet.

 
Bio:

I started playing clarinet in grade school, adding tenor sax, flute and oboe in middle school, and by high school I acquired “arranger’s piano” in order to arrange half time shows for the marching band as well as write and arrange for the dance band. By the time I joined the jazz band at L.A. Valley College I had acquired all the reeds, and played lead alto in their ‘A’ band. My embouchure took quite a beating as the result of a car accident in my last year of high school, so when I transferred over to Cal State University at Northridge I jumped at the opportunity to play piano in the ‘A’ band. (My saxes are now lamps!)

One highpoint while still in college was a gig at the Las Vegas Hilton. (Now check this out-) I did 6 weeks at the LV Hilton playing the smaller room (which was quite large back in the day). I was playing with Ginny Tiu doing opposite sets with Wilson Pickett & Louis Prima with Sam Butera and “The Witnesses.” In the big room my first two weeks was Liberace , but the high point was during next two weeks: Elvis! The shows were piped into our dressing room, now how cool is that? Ok, so it was my first brush with greatness...don’t burst my bubble!

After college (’72) some friends and I took to the road, touring clubs and chain hotels backing many singers and oldies groups, like the Platters & Drifters.

I continued playing with club bands, arranging, writing and doing sessions throughout the L.A. area when I fell into a cool gig in ’78. I was pleased to be signed as a staff writer by Jobete/Stone Diamond Publishing, at Motown Records. I was there for several years until I was offered the opportunity to write and produce with George Tobin Music (Robert John, Smokey Robinson, Tiffany). We pounded out a ton of records – 
  
~jd

 
Genres:

Pop, R & B, Hip-Hop, Dance, Soul, Funk, Country, Jazz, & Gospel

 
Artists I’ve Worked and/or Recorded With:

Randy Crawford, Platters, Thelma Houston, Drifters, Ginny Tiu, Charlene, Wilson Pickett, Rockwell, The Four Tops, Barbara Mitchell, The Temptations, Dan Whitley, Mary Wilson, Carl Weathers, Diana Ross, Sonny Charles, Next Exit, Kim Fields, Arnesha Walker, Johnny Whitaker, Lola Falana, Billy Preston, Kicking Harold, Natalie Cole, PC Quest, Megan Peters, Chris Farren, Tim David Kelly, Trini Lopez, Alfonso Ribeiro, Jess Harnell, Tommy Funderburk, Tiffany, The Spinners, Tashina, Jennifer Holiday, Larry Braggs, The Booth Bros., John Valenti, Robert John, Chad Petree, Ta Ta Vega, and The New Edition.

 
Musicians I’ve Worked and/or Recorded With:

Grant Geissman, John ‘JR’ Robinson, Abraham Laboriel, Dan Huff, Paul Jackson Jr., Chris Farren, Keith Howland, Neil Stubenhaus, Kendall Kay, Brandon Fields, John Hobbs, Willie Ornelas, Tim David Kelly, Wha Wha Watson, James Gadson, Doug Sahm, Eddie Watkins Jr., Alan Oldfield, Mitch Reilly, Joe Sample, Michael Baird, Freddie Washington, Bill Smith, Joel Peskin, Edward Shemansky, Bill Cuomo, John Pondel, Chuck Yamek, Ron Barrows, Marietta Waters, Larry Prentiss, George Pirilli, Joel Peskin, Craig Yamek, Larry Klimas, Richard Elliot, Henry Newmark, Michael Thompson, Russ Ferrante, Ricky Lawson, Eric Marienthal, Ed Greene, John Barnes and Sonny Burke.

 
Producers I’ve Worked With:

George Tobin, Freddie Perren, Richard Perry, Curtis Nolan, Hal Davis, Norman Whitfield, Barry Gordy and Harvey Fuqua.

 
Some Records I’ve Worked On:


 Tiffany / Tiffany (1987) - Writer, Arranger, Keyboards, Drum Programmer


 Tiffany / Hold An Old Friend’s Hand (1988) - Writer, Arranger,  Keyboards, Drum Programmer

                                                                    
 Tiffany / Dreams Never Die (1993) - Associate Producer, Writer, Arranger, Keyboards, Drum Programmer

                                              
 Tiffany / Dreams Never Die (2005) - Associate Producer, Writer, Arranger, Keyboards, Drum Programmer, Mixing

                                    
 Tiffany / The Jetson’s Movie (1990) - Associate Producer, Writer, Arranger, Keyboards, Drum Programmer, Artist

                                     
 Tiffany / Greatest Hits (1996) - Writer, Arranger, Keyboards, Drum Programmer

                                                                                                   
 Tiffany / All The Best (1995) - Writer, Arranger, Keyboards, Drum  Programmer

                                                                                                    
 P C Quest / PC Quest (1991) - Writer, Assoc. Producer, Arranger, Keyboards, Mixing, Drum Programmer.


 P C Quest / Directions (1992) - Writer, Assoc. Producer, Arranger, Keyboards, Mixing, Drum Programmer, String Arr., Mixing.


 Blue Venture / Blue Venture (1994) - Writer, Assoc. Producer, Arranger, Keyboards, Eng, Mixing, Drum Programmer.


 Tashina / Tashina (2001) - Writer, Assoc. Producer, Arranger, Keyboards, Mixing, Drum Programmer.


 Next Exit / Somewhere in My Broken Heart (1994) - Assoc. Producer, Arranger, Keyboards, Eng, Mixing, Drum Programmer.


 Zane / Multiple Personality Disorder (2000) - Writer, Producer, Arranger, Keyboards, Eng, Mixing, Drum Programmer, Loop Sampling.


 Kaukasian / White Noise (2005) - Writer, Producer, Arranger, Keyboards, Eng, Mixing, Drum Programmer, Loop Sampling.


 Kicking Harold / Ugly & Festering (1995) - Assoc. Producer, Horn & String Arr.


 Kicking Harold / Return Of The BulbMen (1997) - Assoc. Producer, Horn & String Arrangements, Keyboards, Loop Sampling.


 Kicking Harold / If I Get To Heaven (1997) – Mastering.


 Kicking Harold / Hit Makers (1994)


 Kicking Harold / Album Network (1996)


 Tim David Kelly / Burn One Down (1998) - Assoc. Producer, Horn & String Arrangements, Keyboards, Loop Sampling.


 The Last Dragon / Motown Movie (1985) Keyboards, Drum Programming, Arranger.

 
Rockwell / Somebody’s Watching Me (1983) – Keyboards.


 Rockwell / Captured (1985) – Writer, Arranger, Keyboards, Drum Programming.

 
Tom Angelich / Home Grown VI (1978) - Piano, Synthesizer.

 
Adrina / Let’s Skate and Dance (1980) – Writer, Arranger, Keyboards.

 
Mary Wilson / Mary Wilson (1979) - Writer, Arrangements, Piano.

 
The Jetsons Movie (1990) – Artist, Writer, Arranger, Keyboards, Drum Programming.

 
Society of Seven / Fashionably Yours (1978) - Fender Rhodes.

 
Four Tops /          Magic (1985) - Synthesizers.

 
Kim Fields / He Loves Me Not (1984) – Arrangement, Synthesizers, Drum Programming.

 
Barbara Mitchell - Get Me Through The Night (1984) – Writer, Arrangements, Keyboards, Drum Programming.

 
Charlene / Hit & Run Lover (1984) – Writer, Arranger, Keyboards, Drum Programming.

 
L A Happening / Chuck Bridges and the L A Happening (1968) - Sax, Flute, Oboe.

 
Dan Whitley / In Search of Justice (1970) - Horn Arrangements.

 
Jennifer Holliday /Say You Love Me (1985) – Writer, Arrangements Keyboards, Drum Programming.     

                                                                   
Troy Hinton / Troy Hinton (1987) – Arrangements, Keyboards, Drum Programming.

                                                                            
New Edition / All For Love (1985) – Writer, Arrangements, Keyboards, Drum Programming, Bass.

 
Adrina Jenson / Let’s Skate and Dance (1978) Writer, Arranger, Synth, Drum Programming.

 

 Discography:

 Mary Wilson (Motown)                   Mary Wilson

~Red Hot

~I’ve Got What You Need

~You Make Me Feel So Good

~(I Love) A Warm Summer Night

~Pick Up The Pieces

~You’re The Light That Guides My Way

~Midnight Dancer

 

Charlene (Motown)                Hit & Run Lover

~I’ll Be Waiting

~Escape

 

Adrina (Malibu)                      Let’s Skate And Dance

~Skating Machine

~Let’s Skate And Dance

 

Rockwell (Motown)                Captured

~Tokyo

 

Barbara Mitchell (Capital)    Get Me Through The Night

~Street Heat

                                                                                         

Jennifer Holliday (Geffen)      Say You Love Me

 ~Dreams Never Die

~What Kind Of Love Is This?

                                                                             

New Edition (MCA)               All For Love

~All For Love

~Tonight’s Your Night

~Whispers In Bed

 

Tiffany (MCA)                        Tiffany

~Spanish Eyes

~Feelings Of Forever

~Promises Made

 

Tiffany (MCA)                        Hold An Old Friends Hand

~Radio Romance

~Drop That Bomb

 

Tiffany (MCA)                        Dreams Never Die

~Can’t You See

~Dreams Never Die

~Ruthless

 

Tiffany (Headliner)                 Dreams Never Die 2005

~Can’t You See

~Dreams Never Die

~Ruthless

~You Can’t Break A Broken Heart

~Lookin’ Through The Windows

~Are You Lonely Tonight

~I Don’t Know What You Got

 

Tiffany (MCA)                        The Jetsons Movie

~Through The Blue

~Mall Theme

 

P C Quest (Geffen)                 PC Quest

~Don’t Be Afraid

~Can I Call You My Girl

~The Hardest Part

~Can’t You See

~Ready, Aim, Dance!

 

P C Quest (RCA)                    Directions

~Can’t You See

~I Wanna Touch You

~It Must Be Love

                 

Zane (Greystone)                    Multiple Personality Disorder

~Falling Down

~Lies

~Deal With It

~I Hate Being With You

~Mud Fight II

 

Kaukasian  (Tobin)                 White Noise

~Intro

~PhuckIn_U2Nite

~Konfident

~Radio Waves

~It’s All About Me

~Yellow Brick Road

~Hey Mr. Rekordman

~Do You Like It Like This?

~Change

~Welkum

~Syko Bitch

~Who R U

~How Do You Like Me Now?

~Takin’ Over The World

~Outro

 

Heather (Headliner)               Blue Venture

~They Use Her

 

Tashina (Headliner)               Tashina

~Give Me Some Attention

~Just One Kiss

~I Will Wait For You

~Bad, Bad, Girl

~Girls Night Out

~So Many Times Before

~Ice Cold Pink Lips

 

Commercials, Jingles: 

 Carnation, Sears, McDonalds, and various automobile /miscellaneous jingles throughout the years.  

 
TV Shows:

 Tonight Show, Arsenio Hall, Pat Sajak, American Bandstand, Top of the Pops, HBO Special, NBC LA View, Bob Hope Christmas Special, Disney Special, Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon

John Ritter Cerebral Palsy Telethon, The New Mickey Mouse Club, and Solid Gold.

 
Touring:

 Music Director - Tiffany (1987-93), Randy Crawford (1976).

Tour Manager/Live Sound - Kicking Harold (1996)

Touring Band - Thelma Houston (1970)

Performed in over 15 countries and all 57 States (!)

Many Concerts and Parades With The San Fernando/ Claudehopper Youth Bands., Wm. S. Hart High School, Placerita Jr. High & Newhall Elementary School Bands.

 
Other Performances:

 USA/USSR Track Meet (1962), Shrine Auditorium, Coliseum-Rams/Chargers Football Half Time Shows, Dodger Stadium, Hollywood Bowl, Roxy, Troubadour, Gazzarri’s, Hollywood Lane Parade, Hilton, Holiday Inn, Ramada Inn, Hyatt Hotel Chains, Rose Parade (1969), Girl Fights, Pig Slaughterings & the public circumcision.

Third Place Battle of the Bands- Hollywood Bowl (1967)

Production Band, Battle of the Bands- Hollywood Bowl (1969)

Winning Jazz Combo Pacific Coast Jazz Festival CSUN (1972)

Various other miscellaneous awards and presentations along the way.

 
Arranged and Performed on:

-    3 #1 Records

-         8 Top Ten Records

-         12 Top Forty Records

-         18 Top 100

-         Been Part of Selling Over 20 Million Records.

 
The Biggest ‘Treat’ Of My Career So Far?

Yep! Playing ‘The Mickey Mouse Show’ with Tiffany where we played “Drop That Bomb", a song I co-wrote with Bill Bowersock.

 
THE MOST STRESSFUL ‘YEARS’ OF MY LIFE?

Touring with Tiffany & the New Kids On The Block (them ca-RAA-zee kids can really wear ya down fast!)

~(jd)

Jedhed